All Encounters In D&D's Wild Beyond The Witchlight Can Be Solved Without Combat

Wizards of the Coast revealed new details about what players can expect from the upcoming hardcover adventure Wild Beyond the Witchlight. When the book releases on September 21, players will find a level 1-8 adventure, two new backgrounds and races, the return of classic 1980s D&D characters, and peaceful solutions to every encounter.

The details of Wild beyond the Witchlight were revealed at D&D Live 2021. The story begins at the Witchlight Carnival, a magical entertainment venue that can appear in any world. Unlike most hardcover adventures that solidly take place in the Forgotten Realms, Witchlight can star characters from Eberron, Greyhawk, or any homebrew world without too much tweaking. From there players will enter the Feywild domain of delight known as Prismeer. Like Ravenloft’s domains of dread, the Feywild’s domains are self-contained lands that bend to the will of an Archfey. 

As the players navigate Prismeer, they’ll find the usual assortment of puzzles, social encounters, and fearsome foes. However, in a change from past hardcovers, “all encounters in the adventure will include a non-combat option.” This will be of particular interest to bard players and those who prefer roleplay, as well as showing an interesting shift in D&D design. If player feedback on Wild Beyond the Witchlight is favorable, we may see more focus on player options that emphasize skill checks and roleplay. 

When it comes to player options, Wild Beyond the Witchlight will bring the fairy and harengon (rabbit folk) from Unearthed Arcana into official canon. The hobgoblin option from that UA is being saved for a future release, says D&D lead Jeremy Crawford, and the owlfolk might turn up very soon. The two new background options will be “Feylost (for characters who grew up in the

Feywild) and the Witchlight Hand (for characters who work at the Witchlight Carnival).”

In one final surprise, Wild Beyond the Witchlight will include the return of favorite ‘80s characters, with Warduke, Strongheart, Kelek being named specifically.